Broadcaster John Humphrys remembers ‘one of a kind’ journalist Rod Liddle

By Laura Harding and Casey Cooper-Fiske, Press Association

Former BBC Radio 4 Today programme presenter John Humphrys has remembered his former editor Rod Liddle as “one of a kind”.

Liddle died after a short illness at the age of 66. Having been a high-profile columnist on The Sunday Times and The Sun, he also had a weekly column in The Spectator, as well as a Times Radio show.

Speaking on Radio 4’s PM show, Humphrys, 82, who remained friends with Liddle after he left the BBC, said: “He was an extraordinary journalist, a remarkable man, an utterly brilliant and bonkers editor.

“You never ever knew what to expect from Rod, but my god he had a brain, and he lived radio, live radio, he loved the job, which makes it all the more bizarre, in one sense, that he effectively sacked himself from being editor of the Today programme – but that’s Rod for you.

“He was one of a kind, and if you thought you knew what to expect from him on a particular story or event, or whatever it happened to be, you would almost certainly be wrong because he would almost certainly have different ideas.

“And they would almost always, not always, but almost always, be far better than yours.

“He was inspirational in the best sense of the word… I mean, he was funny, he had a wonderful sense of humour, it drove him mad at times, but the number of times he got sacked and the number of times he sacked me, well, I think it’s probably about equal, really.”

It was while Liddle was editor of Today that he hired Andrew Gilligan, the BBC journalist whose 2003 report claimed the UK government “sexed up” its dossier on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction.

He left the BBC before Gilligan’s controversial report was broadcast.

Liddle’s children, Wilder, Tyler and Emmy, said they were “very saddened and shocked at the sudden passing of our wonderful father” in a statement announcing his death.

They added: “He raised us much as you might imagine, to be inquisitive, brave and always humorous.

“Even in hospital in the last few weeks, he consistently held the room and never let the awful situation show.

“He has left a legacy that we are all incredibly proud of, he will always be our guide on how to live an extraordinary life.”

Liddle died at The James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough on Sunday evening.

Rebekah Brooks, chief executive of News UK, said: “Everyone at News UK is deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the sudden death of Rod Liddle.

“Rod was an inimitable journalistic force, brilliant, provocative and immensely talented, whose sharp wit and uncompromising voice graced our pages and airwaves for decades.

“Whether writing for The Sunday Times and The Sun or broadcasting on Times Radio, he challenged conventional thinking and left an indelible mark on British journalism.

“Rod will be greatly missed by all his friends and colleagues at News, as well as by his many readers, listeners and viewers.

“Our thoughts and sincerest condolences are with his family and loved ones.”

Liddle was no stranger to controversy over the course of his career and was the first journalist to have an online blog censured by the press watchdog.

Justin Webb, the long-standing Today presenter, added: “He was in many respects the complete opposite of the image that he liked to portray. He cared deeply about people and about civilised behaviour.

“He was obviously enormously funny and enormously talented but he never let that destroy his relationships with the people he grew up with and who knew him best. He was responsible for quite a lot of mad stuff on Today, but he also had a genuine hostility to authority that is the mark of a truly great journalist.”

Former editor of The Sun Kelvin MacKenzie was also among those paying tribute to Liddle, calling him “a free spirit in a controlled world”.

In 2010, a complaint was upheld by the Press Complaints Commission after the writer and columnist claimed on the Spectator website that the “overwhelming majority” of violent crime in London was carried out by young Afro-Caribbean men.

He was subsequently a vocal critic of Lord Hutton’s report into the death of weapons expert Dr David Kelly, which cleared the UK government of exaggerating the case for war in Iraq.

Liddle also made headlines for his colourful private life, when he left his partner of 11 years, Rachel Royce, with whom he had two children, for his 23-year-old mistress.

The estranged couple waged a public war of words over his affair with Alicia Munckton, a former receptionist at the Spectator magazine.

Liddle went on to present a programme about infidelity, arguing that men are genetically pre-programmed to be unfaithful.

Known for his controversial views, Liddle sparked multiple accusations of misogyny and racism with his columns in The Spectator.

The magazine was prosecuted in 2012 for breaching a court order over an article written by Liddle during the trial of Stephen Lawrence’s killers.

The article claimed the two defendants would not get a fair trial.

The magazine paid a fine of £3,000 plus £2,000 in compensation after pleading guilty to breaching a court order during the case.

In 2019, Liddle used his column to suggest planning elections for a time when Muslims cannot vote.

He used the same column to apparently mock Labour MP Rosie Duffield, who spoke out about a previous abusive relationship she had while discussing domestic abuse legislation.

The MP paid tribute to Liddle in a post on X which read: “We just lost someone I would never in a million years have been expected to be friends with, or probably even to have made peace with.

“A larger than life ‘Marmite’ character, controversial, sometimes infuriating, but terribly witty, sharp and fun.

“And capable of extreme kindness, empathy and charm, especially in private. Gone far too soon. Desperately sad news.”